|
Horseplay
Newsletter
Hooves Ltd.,
recently got involved in helping the staff and students of Teen
Challenge Jamaica, a Christian Ministry for recovering alcoholics and
drug addicts.
Director
Tina Williams, was approached by the
Director of TCJ, Karissa McCarter, to utilize the horses of Hooves in a
series of sessions to be conducted by a
team from Atlanta, Georgia, of EAP (Equine Assisted
Psychotherapy).
Tina had
found the horses to be great therapy for her, many an evening would be
spent out in the pasture just enjoying their company, but to see their
interaction with the clients in the sessions, was awe-inspiring.
The first
session that took place, was a demonstration by the EAP team with Tina,
Karissa, local psychotherapist, Dr Sidney McGill and three of Hooves
staff members.
The activity
was to get a horse over an obstacle, which had been set up in an
enclosed arena. They were
not allowed to touch the horse, lead it, or bribe it, in addition to
which they had to remain silent and communicate with each other only
with hand signals and body language. When they finally succeeded in
getting a horse over the obstacle, two other horses subsequently
followed, the team applauded, and the horses came around again and
jumped it once more, in fact the three horses jumped over the jump three
times and kicked up their heels, and bucked each time.
"They were having a ball” Tina said, “they all
thoroughly enjoyed the sessions, and thought it was a great game!".
The five
days with the visiting team, so inspired Tina, that she went up to the
US, to attend the EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning
Association) conference, and then toured around North Carolina and
Tennessee, visiting barns where EAP programmes are currently underway,
before taking her Level 1 certification course in EAP. Since her
return, she has set up ‘Horseplay' a counseling Ministry, with local
psychotherapist, Dr Sidney McGill.
"I
am so blessed to be able to use my horses to help others, I know that my
horses have a lot to offer people that are hurting, as many of them have
been rehabilitated with us off the racetrack. It takes a while for a
horse that has spent 3 years or more, confined in a stable, pumped with
steroids and other performance
drugs, with little interaction with other horses, to settle into their
new life, in open pastures and a mixed herd.
The looks on their faces when their feet touch grass, when they
see other horses around them that they can actually have physical
contact with, is just amazing."
"When we
use the horses in the
sessions, I have seen grown men cry, tough little kids from one parent
families with precious little parental love, opening up and hugging and
kissing these wonderful animals" . I don’t know where this is all
heading, but I know that it can only be to the glory of a Mighty God,
who has given me the opportunity to help others through these
magnificent four legged friends of mine.
The
power of Horses in Equine
Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning
Tel:
972 1805
Email:
tinahooves@cwjamaica.com
Back
to Hoofbeat Main Page
|
